First Drive: the new Ford F-150 pick-up

What's this truck, then?

Ford is busy at the moment. Having just finished the global launch of the new Mustang, plus the latest Focus and new Mondeo, the Blue Oval has now switched attention to its big one: the F-150 range of pickup trucks. As important as all the car launches have been, financially, the F-150 dwarfs Mustang, Focus and Mondeo combined.

How so?

In the same way that the Transit has dominated van sales in the UK for the past several decades, the F-150 has been the top-selling truck in the US for the past thirty-seven years, shifting almost 800,000 units a year. So, no pressure then, on this new one to perform better than it ever has before.

What's new about it?

The big news is that Ford has bet the farm on using lightweight military grade aluminium for the body of the truck for the first time. The frame is still steel, but everything on top is made out of the alloy. The reason for switching to aluminium is that it saves a huge amount of weight - up to 320kg - over the current F-150.

Does that matter with a truck?

Yes. Not only does it give appreciable improvements in fuel consumption, handling, and performance, but the diet plan makes a massive difference to the amount of weight the F-150 can carry. By swapping to aluminium, Ford has added around a third to the truck's payload capacity, depending on the model chosen. For a working vehicle like this, that is a massive improvement.

Is aluminium really strong and durable enough for a truck?

Ford reckons so. After years of real world testing by some of its hard-use customers - and completing the Baja 1000 - the company increased the gauge of the metal in the bed area to increase strength. It is now confident it has done all it needs to make the truck a winner.

Any new engines?

Apart from the carryover V6 EcoBoost 3.5-litre V6 unit and the 5.0-litre V8, there's a tweaked version of the standard V6 - now 3.5 litres not 3.7 - plus a brand new 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost motor. The latter will also be fitted in the new Edge Sport, and almost matches the ally body for novelty. Its twin turbos run at up to 31psi - a number normally associated with drag racers. It has stop-start - the first appearance of such green tech on a truck. And it produces all 440 of its torques from 2300rpm almost to the redline.

So it's actually... economical?

No official figures on that yet, but our pre-production XLT with the big crew cab and four people plus baggage on board was showing an average of 21mpg after a day of quick driving around Texas. That, in truck-world, is an impressive result. Theoretically all the other engines should be more economical too as they are dragging around less body fat, but we'll have to wait and see.

What's it like to drive?

It doesn't take more than 50 metres for the truck's weight-loss strategy to shine through. The steering is more responsive, the truck changes direction faster, rides and handles more smoothly. You might think the F-150 would feel a bit flimsier, too, but the opposite is true. The big Ford feels appreciably sturdier than the outgoing model. On the road it is almost as comfortable and hushed as a saloon, other than some wind noise around the huge mirrors. Off-road there's no sense of any twisting or shifting - it all feels like it was milled from a solid lump of metal.

Will there be a Raptor version of the new F-150?

Yes. Details are still sketchy but we understand that it will debut in the 2016 model year - so autumn 2015 - and will be powered by a suitably breathed-on EcoBoost V6 (say goodbye to the 6.2-litre V8). We're told it'll be even more crazy than the current truck. We like what we hear.

So should I buy a new F-150?

If you need a ute in your life, we're struggling to find an argument against it. The F-150 can carry more, use less fuel and is more rugged, flexible and comfortable than ever before. Will it be the top selling truck in the US next year? For sure.